On May 25, 2008, the Phoenix lander arrived at Mars and raced to a safe touchdown on the northern plains. At the same time, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter turned its radio antenna to listen for signals from the spacecraft and relayed them to mission controllers on Earth.

ASU's Thermal Emission Imaging System helped scientists find a safe landing site for the Mars Phoenix spacecraft - and the instrument is also giving flight controllers essential data on the atmosphere to ensure a safe touchdown.